A perfect day

Ever have lunch at the Blue Bayou? It's the second-nicest restaurant at Disneyland, the candle-lit tables across from the boat-loading area of the Pirates of the Caribbean. My brother, brother-in-law, and I had our birthday lunch there on Saturday. I ordered the Portobello mushroom and couscous, which wasn't cheap but quite tasty.

We were a little worried about my niece, who isn't a fan of people in costumes or the dark. Her parents dimmed the lights for dinner all week and brought little flashlights. (No, they didn't dress like pirates.) She handled it fine, although she declined to venture onto the ride itself.


Afterwards, we had cake at my parents' house and then went to JANM for the Giant Robot Biennale. There's not much I can say that hasn't already been posted by Eric, but it was definitely a high point in the existence of GR as well as one of my best evenings ever. It was an art show, but it was also kind of like a birthday (50 issues!), a wedding (catered food and a band), a high-school reunion (tons of old friends), and company Christmas party (so many stoked co-workers) as well.


I have no idea who most of the 2,700 attendees were, but it was exciting to turn and see old, new, and unexpected friends all evening. The pics I'm going to share aren't necessarily the most famous people--just some (but not all) of the GR mag crew that braved traffic and parking to share the evening with us.


Here's Ben, who not only shoots great pics for GR but is also plays (played?) in the Ray Barbee Band. Kim is his wife, and she's super cool. In the middle is my twin brother Greg, who got a lot of handshakes and hugs from people who thought I got a haircut.


Brian has been coming by the office to help out for the last few issues. He's a die-hard reader, and a snazzy dresser, too. When we have an opening, I hope to get him on the GR softball team.


Did anyone travel as far as Conroy to attend the show? The ex-member of the boy band Alive, current 24 Herbs dude, and GR homie was interviewed our last issue. He's part of Dan's GRHK posse.


There was a time when I'd see bands all the time and bump into friends. These days, I go out less often and am usually by myself. The person I see most often is ace copy-editor Hane. This year, I saw her at Morrissey and Blonde Redhead. That's her dude Nathan, who has not dragged down her rock 'n' roll lifestyle one bit.


Jack is a super-talented painter and a full-on GR guy. He even worked at the store when he moved from Philly to L.A.! Over the summer we kept saying that we'd catch some games at Dodger Stadium, but I guess we'll have to go to Kings hockey games instead.


You know how most people hate lawyers and most lawyers hate their jobs? Not Mitch. We love our lawyer and he loves his job.


I hope the other artists don't mind me putting a spotlight on Pryor. He color balances GR, and he's also an incredible photographer. It was nice that the show allowed him to show his pieces at the large scale they deserve.


Okay, here's another artist. I had to put up this picture of Saelee because she looks so glamorous in it. The drink, the flowers, the blurry background, and everything.


Finally, "small" Michelle, who handles the e-mail blasts, online art shows, and more. She's a quiet dynamo in the office, so it makes sense that she'd be shy around cameras, too.

I could go on forever about the awesome people who help make GR magazine and the incredible art show that Eric assembled in honor of our 50th issue, but I'd better stop. We're already in deadline/lockdown mode for GR51...